April Fool’s Day

April Fool’s Day or All Fool’s Day is celebrated every year on the first day on April as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. The jokes and their victims are known as “April fools”. Hoax stories may be reported by the press and other media on this day and explained on subsequent days. Popular since the 19^th century, the day is not a national holiday in any country, but it is well known in Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and the United States.

The practice of April Fool pranks and hoaxes is controversial. The mixed opinions of critics are epitomized in the reception to the 1957 “Spaghetti-tree hoax”, in reference to which, newspaper were split over whether it was “a great joke or a terrible hoax on the public”

The positive view is that April Fools’ can be good for one’s health because ot encourages “jokes, hoaxes… pranks” and brings all the benefits of laughter including stress relief and reducing  strain on the heart.